Carnival de Goa

Carnival de Goa has been on the list for so long now. Either it was the distance or the timing, we never made it here earlier. But this time, when hubby and I had to meet a friend for lunch, we decided that Carnival de Goa it was going to be. With mommy time around the corner, I was not sure when I would find the next opportunity to travel for a nice meal considering I don’t stay anywhere close to the city.

At the entrance - the welcoming Goan tiles

 
Goan food has been a favourite for several years now, but I had not really found that one place that sold that authentic taste one finds in Goa. My search ended here. Carnival de Goa brought that exact Goan taste to Bangalore. To say that I loved the place is an understatement.

Situated close to the Gurudwara near Ulsoor lake and above Grill House, parking is not a hassle. Entering the place on the second floor, a tiled board welcomes you reminding you of old Goan homes. There is a choice of indoor or outdoor seating. Considering the busy street downstairs, we picked the indoor seating. A good choice considering there was a ‘one-man band’ singing there. With all the old English folk and country songs, the experience was definitely Goan. The ambience is good and the famous Mario Miranda- like caricature art work adorns one large wall.

Margarita

 

Ginger Fizz

I liked the menu. It wasn’t cluttered with non-Goan options. Clearly this place means serious business. The bar menu had a good choice of mocktails and cocktails. It was a day of ordering all the old favourites. We went in for a Virgin Mary, Ginger Fizz from the mocktails and a Margarita for a cocktail. The mocktails were great. You can judge a good bartender by the Virgin/Bloody Mary he makes and this one was definitely very good. If not for the pregnancy I would have gone for a second and third helping.

Virgin Mary

The Ginger Fizz had a good pungent punch to it with mint and lime, a good one if you like the flavor of ginger. The Margarita was a good and lemony mix of tequila and some fruit flavours.



The Goan Sausage Chilli Fry

I dived in for starters. The first one to go was The Goan Sausage Chilli Fry. Perfect in every way…I could cry thinking of Goa. Spicy, tangy, meaty……a total gastronomical seduction if you know what I mean. Beef Rissoles were next in line. Goans are good at cutlets and this was one of them. Though made of beef, this one had a strong smell and taste of mutton. The taste was good and can be ordered as a checklist item.

 



Beef Rissoles



When it comes to Goan food, I am not a sucker for seafood. But at a place like Carnival de Goa, it would be unfair to leave this out. So next in line, Squid fry it was. A plateful of rava fried squids arrived. The quantity was good but what stood out was the quality. 9 out of 10 times, you get rubbery squids that you have to chew on for long. These were so fresh and absolutely soft yet crispy. Could go in for second round of this but had to hold on for the main course.



Pork Vidaloo



Sannas

My friends let me choose the main course, so I was a little selfish and ordered all my favourites. We treated ourselves to much more food than we could handle.  Pork Vidaloo with sannas (puffy idlis famous in the west coast) was first to arrive. The sannas were soft, but being a Mangalorean, I think we score higher on this. The vindaloo was extremely high on flavor and spice. With generous quantities of gravy, this dish could burn your guts if you didn’t have it with loads of sannas on rice to combat the red chilli. Two favourites in succession – Prawn Pulao and Goan Saugage Pulao. Both were great in taste and fairly good in quantity.

Prawn Pulao

 

Sausage Pulao

The only dish I had not tried that day was the Chicken Cafreal. Another dish I could travel to Goa for. Carnival de Goa had Cafreal Wings and I had to try them. An easy dish that never goes wrong. But for some reason, this was a big let down at CdG. I really wish I hadn’t ordered for it.

Cafreal Wings

With a  couple of lime sodas to wash down the food and fight the spice, we were through with our Goan lunch party.

Fresh Lime Soda

The bill worked up to a little over Rs 2000 making it completely worth it. A mention of the restrooms here. The ladies restroom had two frames photos of men in their underwear. Wonder what that was supposed to mean. But yes, the loo was clean.

Pay by : Cash and cards

Average meal for two : Rs 1000-1500 (including drinks)

Mel’s overall rating : 4.5 out of 5

Location: 8/6, II floor, Kensington Point, Ulsoor Road, Ulsoor, Bangalore

Ph:  +91 7676767620

 

 

 

 

 

Ritz Classic Restaurant and Bar

We had heard about Ritz Classic Restaurant and Bar from afew friends. And since it had to do with Goan cuisine, we had to be there. ThinkGoa, think seafood, think Ritz. Locating the place can be quite a challenge butits popularity helps you find the way.

We did a smart thing by reaching there early promptly to beushered to our seats. We were told that most people have to wait to be seatedduring the lunch hours. The seating is basic and does not promise a fine diningexperience. But the AC provides a respite from the scorching heat outside.

The humble interiors of Ritz

 This restaurant has been around for ages and boasts of avast seafood menu among others. Of course with it, come thousands of loyalcustomers. Hubby and me usually pick chicken or pork over seafood most often. Quitestrange for a Mangalorean but true. But this time it was going to be a good helping of seafood at Ritz.

We started our meal with a plate of Mussels Rawa Fry.  A local favourite here, the bites are crispy and the quantity is good if not great. If you like to pick your fish, the waiters bring a large tray of fresh fish for you to choose from. King fish, shark, snappers, tiger prawns, lobsters, pomfrets, mackerels….there’s lots to offer. We picked a large whitepomfret to be fried in the traditional recheido masala. The fish was at its fresh best and the masala was great. I missed the tanginess that most Goan dishes have but I am sure the taste has been neutralized to suit all tastebuds.

Mussels Rawa Fry

White pomfret in recheido masala

Beer and port wine go without saying. Vinod and me helped ourselves with two rounds each. Ritz is famous for its fish plate meals or ‘thali’.Having seen it on all tables, we could hardly resist it for main course. For a100 bucks, this was a complete steal. The meal came with a prawn curry and rice, shell fish sukka, a large piece of fried king fish, dry prawn chutney, a ‘parra’of sardines and a veggie. Belt on these meals and you wouldn’t needstarters too. Vinod settled for the meal while I had some other choices.

Fish meals

I feasted on a Sea Food Fried Rice. In Goa I prefer theirpulaos but with the spice overdose, I decided to stick to the slightly bland fried rice. Squids, prawns, fish and crab meat found their way into the riceand was yummy to say the least. To go with it, I ordered for my favourite –the Prawn Balchao. The gravy was spicy with large prawns and went well with therice. Having tasted the Balchao at various places, I would well put my money on the one sold at Martin’s Corner. Good try nonetheless if you have not tried the former. Plain rice or bread (pao) too is a great accompaniment for balchao.

Sea Food Fried Rice

Prawn Balchao

Vinod was particularly happy with this meal and I too had myfill of seafood. We are definitely going back there.

Payby : Cash and cards

Restroom: Basic and pray that it doesn’t stink

Averagemeal for two : Rs 1000 (with drinks); ours worked up to Rs 1400. Just keep a watch on the taxes on the bill though.

Mel’soverall rating : 3.5 out of 5

Location:First Flor, Wagle Vision, 18 June Road, Panjim, Goa. Ph : 0832 6644796

Zeebop

Vinod selected this place as a birthday surprise for me. After a lot of research, he zeroed in on Zeebop going by the numerous reviews on the net.

A beach front restaurant at Utorda, South Goa, Zeebop is known for its seafood. The approach to this place is through a narrow dusky lane beyond the Royal Orchid Resorts. The décor is simple with white tables and chairs. Candles on every table give the ambience a soft look.

To begin the celebration, we ordered two cocktails. A Long Island Iced Tea for Vinod and a Bloody Mary for me. The Long Island Iced tea, with its smooth blend of white spirits and splash of cola topped with a slice of lime provided a good start to a great evening.

Long Island Iced Tea

The Bloody Mary was perfect with vodka, tomato juice, spice and tobasco or Worcestershire sauce. I wonder why most people don’t like this cocktail. There’s something special and nice in a spicy drink.

Bloody Mary

For starters, we had Prawn Stuffed Papadams. Quite an innovative and interesting recipe, I must say. Semi crispy papadam wrapped around a mixture of prawn and onion held together with a tooth pick, this is something you would want to try at home as well with a variety of stuffing.



Prawn Stuffed Papadams

To put the slightly salty flavor of the papadam to rest, we ordered the Mussel Fry. Vinod was just getting used to the taste of mussels, though he hails from a coastal town. Considering the reputation that Zeebop has built for seafood, we had our expectations set high. But the mussels fry let us down. To begin with, the mussels carried the fishy smell and was a turn-off. Very bland to say the least but the dash of lime made it palatable. The mussels which were extremely overpriced were served with potato wedges, slices of garlic bread and buttered vegetables.

Mussel Fry

As it was a birthday dinner, we wanted to indulge in some exotic food and hence chose to try lobsters. After choosing the lobster we wanted to be served, we were asked our preference of sauces. Being a fan of Goan food, I opted for the recheiado. The lobster was big and so was the let-down. The accompaniments were the same as the earlier dish. Having tasted authentic recheido masala several times, I could vouch that this was nowhere close. The meat didn’t suffice even for four spoonfuls.
As this was not too filling we ordered a Chicken Cafreal and Seafood Pulao.

Lobster @ Zeebop

The Cafreal was just average like anywhere else in Goa but has an excess of onions making the quantity look huge. The pulao had a very amateur home-made taste to it. The Goans add soup cubes to many pulaos but if you use this ingredient regularly, you would know that a little in excess can ruin your dish. And same was the case with this dish. It didn’t matter that there were squids, prawns and crab meat, the salt overruled everything else.

Chicken Cafreal

Seafood Pulao

This got us wondering about what is it that makes Zeebop so popular. Team Zeebop, you have a great place but the food didn’t just do the magic.

Pay by : Cash and cards
Restroom : Very clean with great art work
Average meal for two : Rs 2700 (with drinks)
Mel’s overall rating : 1.5 out of 5
Location: Utorda Beach, South Goa

Martin's Corner

Martin’s Corner had been on my list of favourite restaurants in Goa for a long time now. I’ve been there at least thrice before. The last visit in 2010 was a little disappointing. But keeping that aside, we decided to try MC this time around as well. And Martin’s Corner lived up to the reputation of dishing out some of the best Goan Cuisine you can lay your hands on.

Tucked away in a residential area in Betalbatim (South Goa), this place is a must visit while in the south of this paradise state and especially if you want to know where the celebs dine while in Goa.

Amitabh Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra, Sanjay Dutt, Sachin Tendulkar, Bipasha Basu, Abhishek Bachchan, Aiswarya Rai-Bachchan, John Abhraham and a host of other biggies have visited this place. Sachin Tendulkar frequents this place so often that there is a dish named after him as well. Thanks to the Wall of photos, Martin’s Corner gives you a feeling of dining like the celebrities. While we were there for dinner, we too spotted a television anchor, whose name I have never known. Nonetheless, despite the rush of people throughout the day, the place still provides the Goan respite.

This restaurant was started with just four tables by Late Martin Pereira. Today it is run by his wife and sons. The ambience is that of an old house. Initially it was just the front portion of the house but over the years they’ve managed to expand in all directions – left, right and centre.

Every night there is live music at the restaurant. We were treated some great cover versions by one of the performers.

Now to the main attraction – the food. Martin’s Corner boasts of the best Goan food and rightly so. They have an extensive menu that covers Indian, Chinese and has a variety of seafood too.

In Goa and not drinking? That can never happen to us. We started our dinner with cocktails. I ordered a Sex on the Sunset Beach which is an enticing mix of Vodka, Peach schnapps, orange juice and lime juice. Vinod opted for the Coco Loco which is a creamy concoction of palm feni, gin, white rum, pineapple juice with coconut cream. Very Goan to say the least! The cocktails sure did lift our spirits high, literally.



Sex on the Sunset Beach



Coco Loco

For appetizers, we chose the Pork Chilli Fry. Not too spicy but at the same time tangy, this dish thoroughly teases the tastebuds. The kokum gave it its tangy flavour while red chillies added spice. 



Pork Chilli Fry

 

Fish Fingers

We then ordered Fish Fingers. Filleted fish, crumb fried and served with fries and a sour cream make a great snack. We totally enjoyed every bite.

Planters Punch

 Vinod ordered a Planters Punch (a mix of rum, grenadine and orange, pineapple and lime juice for his second round of drink and me a Breezer. For main course we selected the Prawn Pulao. The taste was good if not excellent.

As a side dish, we ordered the Chicken Masala Fry (Goan Style). The chicken tasted as good as it looked. The meat was tender and cooked with ground spices. The tinge of sweetness in the dish hinted at caramelized sugar. A perfect blend of spices and sweetness, every ingredient was in the right proportion and made it a great dish.



Chicken Masala Fry



A closer look at the masala coated chicken

To finish our lovely dinner, we decided to share a Caramel Custard. Steamed to perfection i must say! The dish was not too sweet and was done just right. It was a perfect ending to a superb meal.



Caramel Custard



Martin’s Corner also has a lodging facility attached to it by the name of Martin’s Comforts. But whether you stay there or not, make sure you visit Martin’s Corner at least once. Who knows which celebrity you would bump into!

Pay by : Cash or Credit Card

Restroom : Average clean. But you cant expect much with the large crowds they cater too

Average meal for two : Rs 1700 (including drinks)

Mel’s overall rating : 2.5 out of 5

Location: Binvaddo, Betalbatim, Salcete – Goa. Ph: 0832 2880061/ 6481518



Café Xavier

It was a Friday that day. And whenever I get to be in Goa on a Friday, I never miss the Friday Market at Mapusa. Walking past and through the makeshift stalls that sell everything from furniture to fruits to clothes is a thrill not to be missed.

One of the jewels I found while on one of my previous visits to the Mapusa market is this place called Café F Xavier. For those familiar with Goa, this name is sure familiar. But for those who are not, I’d suggest you add this to the list of places to eat while at Goa.

Café Xavier is one among the many stores in the crowded Mapusa Market (that’s if you are there on a  Friday). Given the numerous stalls lined in front of it, you stand a good chance of missing it too. The best way to find your way here is to ask around.



This café is a humble eatery and serves as a good stop for a quick snack or lunch while shopping. The blue and yellow mosaic décor on the walls adds a creative touch to the place. The same colour scheme is followed for the tables and chair, partitions as well as the waiters’ dressing.



The blue & yellow decor



The menu has a mix of Goan as well as other Indian delicacies. The place also has a bar counter and serves simple liquor and does not have fancy cocktails. Nothing like having a chilled port wine in the sweltering Goan heat. That’s what we ordered. At 20 bucks per glass, it well worth it. The best part about Goa is that you can sip on a glass of port wine at any time of the day. Vinod had a second and a third helping that day.

Port ine chilled to perfection

Café Xavier has an interesting practice. As soon as you take your seat, they place before you plates full of samosas, cutlets, patties, croissants and other spicy snacks. You pay for what you eat. Not only are these super scorers on taste, they are also light on the pocket. We emptied a plate of beef cutlets that best appealed to us from the spread. Minced beef with onions, chillies and spices rolled into cutlets melt in your mouth. Keep eating these snacks and you don’t even have to look at the menu. Sorry, we have no pictures to share because we were busy eating.

We were not too hungry when it was actually time to have lunch and hence chose to stick to a simple order.

I am a fan of the Chicken Cafreal at Café Xavier’s. It’s the one thing I order every time I come here. No change this time around either. You taste it and you’ll know why. The Cafreal is one of the very famous Goan dishes. Chicken cooked till tender in a thick paste made of onions, garlic, ginger, cinnamon, pepper, chilli and coriander leaves. The paste is tangy and spicy and leaves both the eyes and mouth watering. But the dash of sweetness in it, balances it out completely. The Portuguese must be thanked for leaving this recipe behind.

Chicken Cafreal

The colour is a dark brown almost a shade of black and screams out every ingredient that has gone into its making. The cafreal was served with some buttered veggies, potato wedges, tomato cooked in the sauce and a small helping of salad.

The mood called for a traditional Goan Prawn Curry with steamed rice. It felt like home. A not-so-thick coconut based gravy ground with red chillies and other spices was light and not very spicy. Interestingly, the gravy had ladies fingers (okra) with the prawns. Not a great combination to try at home. I’m still wondering if that’s an original recipe or a variant. This meal came with a dry prawn balchao, pickle and some vegetable curry. It’s a complete meal and works well if you are in a hurry.

Prawn Curry and Rice

Apart from the distinct flavours we got to taste at Café Xavier, a meal for two cost us just over 300 rupees. Not bad at all!

Pay by : Cash, not sure about cards

Restroom : Basic, not too clean

Average meal for two : Rs 400 (with wine)

Mel’s overall rating : 3 out of 5

Location: No 141, Mapusa Municipality Market, Mapusa, North Goa



Viva Panjim

Viva Panjim! Literally. To say the least, this restaurant is a blessing to food lovers in Goa. If you enjoy Goan cuisine, this is the place to be. We found this place on the net listed amongst the numerous restaurants in Panjim but since it had a mention of local cuisine, we decided to give it a try.

Viva Panjim is located in a very small bylane close to the Panjim Church. We called the restaurant for directions to reach the place and the owner very politely guided us. A tiny board shows the way to this place we call heaven. In front of us was a beautiful orange and white heritage house. I do not know the style of architecture of the house, but to me it looked like one that you see in those nice paintings. There were small tables and chairs outside the house for those who like to enjoy their meal outdoors. But since we were keen on seeing the house, we opted to sit inside.

The beautiful exteriors

There is an A/C section as well as a non-A/C section. The hall where we sat had a bar counter with a huge antique mirror. Most of the furniture around were (or at least looked like) antique. The owner of the place Linda De Souza spent a good ten minutes chit chatting with us about everything from the history of Goans, its connection with Mangalore, to the kind of fish that is available at the markets. Felt quite at home I must say! Chef Linda De Souza has won many awards for her cooking and her restaurant, most of which are displayed at the restaurant.

A view of the interiors

The menu mostly offers local Goan and Portuguese cuisine, and Linda is around to help you choose in case you are in doubt. It was my birthday lunch that day and I decided to treat myself with a little extra than I do everyday.

It was a sunny afternoon and to beat the heat, I ordered a Gimlet which is gin, lime juice and lime cordial. The freshness of the lime and ice was very soothing. Vinod ordered a Goan Rumba, a cocktail made with Goan fenny, rum and pineapple juice. To go with it, we ordered a plate of rava fried mussels. During this trip, we’d fallen in love with mussels and hence you’ll see them in all our reviews. At Viva Panjim, the mussels were fried to perfection. Mildly spiced, this dish went very well with our cocktails.

Gimlet

Goan Rumba

Crumb fried mussels

The next interesting thing that caught my eye in the menu was the Pigling Torradinho. This Portuguese dish consists of delectable pieces of meat sautéed with onions, black pepper and spices that melt in your mouth. This dish is something you just can’t get enough of. We recommend this to all pork fans. Given the extremely good taste, the quantity could have been better. Well, there’s no harm in ordering a second plate/ helping.

Pigling Torradinho

Port Wine

Fresh Lime Soda

For our second round of drinks we ordered a glass of chilled Vinicola port wine and some fresh lime soda. Nothing to write home about here. For the main course, as recommended by Linda we tried the Prawn Curry and rice. Five stars for this one! The thick coconut based gravy with mild chilly was delicious. The quantity of rice though was little and sufficient for one who is not too hungry.



King fish recheido



Prawn Curry and Rice

As an accompaniment we ordered a king fish in recheido masala. This is another of our favourites. After all the places I have tried for Goan food, I can say that this was better than all of them and was closest to the authentic taste. Extremely spicy, the ingredients for this masala are ground in special Goan vinegar. For smaller fish like mackarels, this masala is often used as a stuffing.

Prawn Balchao

Since the rice was not too filling, we went in for some Prawn Balchao. This is not to be missed when you’re trying the local food. This fiery red dish is almost like a pickle but can be eaten as a side dish as well. The prawns are simmered in a smooth paste of ginger, garlic, onions and tomatoes along with a whole lot of spices and vinegar and is not for those who can’t handle spice. Since the Balchao had a thick gravy, we ordered for Goan Pav (bread). Though they look like buns, they are not as soft. It requires quite an effort to bring them down to pieces. But all said and none, it compliments the Balchao.

Goan Pav

Viva Panjim didn’t just offer us the best Goan food, but it also gave us the perfect place to relax and have a relaxed lunch. Our meal cost us a little less that Rs 800 and we’re surely going there, each time we are in Goa. Viva Panjim! Viva Goa!

Pay by : Cash or Credit Card

Restroom : Very clean

Average meal for two : Rs 800 (including drinks)

Mel’s overall rating : 4.5 out of 5

Location: Behind Mary Immaculate High School, Panjim. Ph: 0832 2422405 / 09850471363.